ERS History

USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) was established in
1961, but its story goes back farther. The ERS predecessor
agency, USDA's Bureau of Agricultural Economics (BAE), was set up
in 1922, organizing the department's economic research into one
agency and expanding the role of economics in understanding the
U.S. food and agriculture system.

The BAE addressed price and income issues faced by farmers, and
in the 1930s the agency took on the responsibility for economic
analysis of policy impacts, which is among the functions ERS
performs today. Over the years, ERS has provided incisive,
objective, and reliable research and analysis for both public and
private decision makers, covering issues that have paralleled and
complemented the mission of USDA.

Until around the time of ERS's founding, agricultural research
focused on the farm and rural economy. Since then, the mission of
ERS - and of USDA - has broadened to reflect the changed
environment of our food and agriculture system, and it now includes
research on such topics as food safety and nutrition, natural
resources, trade and international agriculture, and the
environment.

ERS has established a reputation for timeliness, high quality,
depth, and objectivity in analyzing front-burner issues and
enhancing the field of agricultural research. Recent work has
informed debate on food deserts, biofuels, rural broadband
investment, conservation programs and practices, the role of
agricultural research, and the effect of regional trade agreements
on U.S. agriculture.

ERS has consistently and effectively combined incisive analysis
with cutting-edge technology. The agency pioneered the development
of econometric models of national and international agricultural
commodity markets in the 1970s, following this with other models
that underpin much of ERS's analysis. Most recently, ERS has
developed geospatial online mapping tools to integrate and display
data and research results geographically - including data on the
rural economy, farm program distribution, and indicators of access
to affordable and nutritious food.